Towing with the 5th Generation

[wiseguy]

Is anyone concerned about the towing ability of the new 4runner? I currently have a 2006 with the v8 and it tows my 3500 pound trailer nicely. But I am concerned that the tow capacity of the new v6 is only 5,000 pounds. Makes me wonder if I should hang onto my 06.

Or maybe someone with the current v6 could comment on how their rig would tow a 3500 pound trailer since the current v6 is also rated for 5,000 pounds. Keep in mind also that I live at 7,500 feet in the mountains west of Denver so my towing involves lots of hills.

Other than the towing issue I think the new 4runner looks sweet.

 

[marcz62]

I have the V6 in a 2005 and it pulls my trailer fairly well. Mine is under 3500 though. I pull my trailer about 35,000 miles a year with it. It only makes me wish I had a V8 when I am pulling with a strong headwind and up hill. I am curious though.

What kind of gas mileage are you getting when you are towing? I used to get about 17.5 but a few weeks ago I put in new spark plugs and my mileage has dropped to about 15 and 16.

 

[mainliner]

Is anyone concerned about the towing ability of the new 4runner? I currently have a 2006 with the v8 and it tows my 3500 pound trailer nicely. But I am concerned that the tow capacity of the new v6 is only 5,000 pounds. Makes me wonder if I should hang onto my 06.

Or maybe someone with the current v6 could comment on how their rig would tow a 3500 pound trailer since the current v6 is also rated for 5,000 pounds. Keep in mind also that I live at 7,500 feet in the mountains west of Denver so my towing involves lots of hills.

Other than the towing issue I think the new 4runner looks sweet.

I believe the gen 5 4Runner 5k towing capacity is rated using the new SAE J2807 standard. Should make the towing capacity on new vehicles a little more accurate.

 

[gm350reratliff]

Is anyone concerned about the towing ability of the new 4runner?

Not really. My '08 V6 tows my fishing boat great. Its probably less than 3500lbs. Everything else I tow uses a gooseneck hitch. I wouldn't want to tow anything real heavy or long with a light short vehicle like a 4runner.

 

[jh26]

I don't yet know specifics for the 2010, but if you run the numbers for tongue weight, GCVWR, and axle ratings on most "5000 lbs" tow rated vehicles, you'll find they can't really tow that much in the real world where you need to also carry some people and gear in the cab.

I tow a 4000 lbs camper with my 2006 v8 rated to tow 7000, and it does okay. I have towed a 4000 boat with my old 3rd gen and it was way underpowered for the job. There is no way it could have handled the camper.

Looking at the 2010 in it's current form, right now I have no upgrade path from my 2006. I will plan to keep it several more years and just hope that Toyota offers the new 4.6 v8 before I need a replacement, or else I will need to buy something else. And I got the 4runner in the first place because I didn't much like the other options -- now what?

Is anyone concerned about the towing ability of the new 4runner? I currently have a 2006 with the v8 and it tows my 3500 pound trailer nicely. But I am concerned that the tow capacity of the new v6 is only 5,000 pounds. Makes me wonder if I should hang onto my 06.

 

[wiseguy]

My mileage when I am towing my trailer with the v8 is only around 12 mpg which is with lots of hills. My camping trailer has a pretty high profile, especially with the A/C unit on top, so that is probably what really kills my mileage.

Based on the other posts I think I will keep my 06 and wait until they come out with a v8 option. Thanks for all the responses to my original post.

 

[jetboy1975]

I towed a 3800lb travel trailer with my '03 V6 Limited. That lasted about 3 trips :cry2: and it was time to upgrade. It could handle the weight but the frontal area wind resistance killed it. Having to keep it in 3rd gear wasn't comfortable and it struggled to maintain 55mph on flat highway. Dropping into 2nd onto hills made me cringe and it still slowed more. I couldn't imagine towing with it in the mountains or high alt.
Traded up for an '04 V8 limited. The V8 is a huge difference. Stays in 4th gear, it accelerates to pass cars on the hills, and I'm constantly having to slow down all while getting better MPG than the V6.
Unless Toyota puts a V8 in the 5th Gen soon, the T4R will not be on my shopping list.:cry2:

 

[jwyshrek]

TORQUE...that's what I'm talking about...

A nice 3.0 - 3.5L turbo diesel would be nice...